One of the challenges of reporting on China, for the media and intelligence agencies alike, is sifting through the constant river of mis- and disinformation stimulated by the habitual secrecy of the Chinese Communist Party and exacerbated by its most rabid enemies.
The problem goes back to Mao's time, when the country was basically “closed” to all but friendly visitors. Despite its 1972 rapprochement with the United States, the practice has continued under successive leaders, more recently by China-sponsored foreign vloggers who strive to present a positive view of the People's Republic, “telling China's story well.” Likewise, opponents of China never waste an opportunity to exaggerate Beijing's problems, with some promoting conspiracy theories, a situation aggravated by the current leadership's push to hinder or make illegal the gathering of even the most mundane of business and academic data.
Now comes a series of reports, repeating articles last week from the UK tabloid the Daily Mail, saying a Chinese submarine crashed in the Yellow Sea on Aug. 21 with the loss of all 55 aboard. Citing “a secret UK report,” it identified the vessel as a type 093, dubbed by NATO a “Shang class” submarine.
Military authorities privately say it's fake news.
The Daily Mail, citing “intelligence reports,” did not name an exact location for the incident and noted that there was no independent confirmation…
